Should Crosby Retire?

[Jacob]

Elliot Freidman admitted that what many doctors thought about concussions before has been changing. Rest may not be the best option anymore.

But that's only in regards to rehabbing. It means that even if you have symptoms you should still train, just lightly.

 

[LynxBud]

Rough seeing Crosby take some of these hits and I don't even like the guy. He's an incredible hockey player, though.

Anyway, between hockey and MMA I see a lot of former athletes/fighters struggling with their post-athletic lives due to concussions. It's tough to see. Don't wish brain damage on anyone.

Whatever he decides to do, I just hope he really understands what he's risking here. Concussions freak me out.

 

[YEM]

if I had made millions and millions of dollars and won everything there is to be won while simultaneously having a concussion history like his, the only ice I'd be seeing in my future would be the cubes in my cocktail
it's just not worth it

 

[illpucks]

That's why it's a medical decision to allow him to return. He has to pass all of the protocols.

Sid's one of the smartest guys in the league. I wouldn't be surprised if he memorized all the protocols, and knows how he needs to act to pass them, even if he is not healthy.

 

[piteus]

But history has *nothing* to do with how long a player should sit out for. That's what you were insinuating and what I was questioning. Player Q might suffer a concussion that takes 6 months to heal and the next one might resolve overnight. History has *nothing* to do with how long a player should sit out, and if you think it does, you should direct your concern towards countless other NHL players that sit out varying amounts of times from different concussions

LOL. Are you really trying to compare a player taking 6 months off to 1 game. COMMON SENSE says 1 game does NOT allow a player to heal his brain after a cross check to the back of the head ... especially one with Crosby's history! That's what I was implying. Perhaps after a full week of rest and testing Crosby would have been ready. However, we're talking one game (2 days off) before he went on the ice.

Let's put it this way, if you continue to injure your ankle ... would doctors not be more concerned with your 5th or 6th injury vs. your 1st? It happens all the time in professional sports. Isn't that why the Sixers shelved Joel Embiid for the season due to leg injuries? It's common sense.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

if I had made millions and millions of dollars and won everything there is to be won while simultaneously having a concussion history like his, the only ice I'd be seeing in my future would be the cubes in my cocktail
it's just not worth it

I am sure you would want to give up your dream job and retire before age 30 right? Spend doing something all your life, then go sit on your butt and vacation at 29 and then what?

Trust me you would get bored and young people want to stay active in society and contribute, even if it is just the entertainment industry in an athlete's case. No way would you not drive yourself crazy. Trust me i took a year off after saving some money and traveled all over Canada and Europe, i couldn't wait to get back to work and i don't even like my job all that much.

 

[Jacob]

LOL. Are you really trying to compare a player taking 6 months off to 1 game. COMMON SENSE says 1 game does NOT allow a player to heal his brain after a cross check to the back of the head ... especially one with Crosby's history!

But is there any medical literature that suggests that 5 days isn't long enough for a concussion to fully heal? Sorry I'm not putting a whole lot of stock in your common sense.

That's what I was implying. Perhaps after a full week of rest and testing Crosby would have been ready. However, we're talking one game (2 days off) before he went on the ice.

He was actually on the ice the next day, but that's standard concussion protocol. You do light activity and monitor your symptoms and, if there's no issues, you raise the activity level the next day and the next day. He went 5 days between playing an actual game.

Let's put it this way, if you continue to injure your ankle ... would doctors not be more concerned with your 5th or 6th injury vs. your 1st? It happens all the time in professional sports. Isn't that why the Sixers shelved Joel Embiid for the season due to leg injuries? It's common sense.

I don't follow the NBA but a google search reveals Embiid was sidelined because of a knee injury that wasn't healing. What's the relevance?

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

He's a Caps fan who's overly pessimistic. Don't worry, he's not bragging.

It's not pessimism. He's just been really trying to go for the anti-jinx this year.

Yeah, it has nothing to do with pessimism and everything to do with the "reverse jinx" thing.

Any time a Pens player gets hot, he'll make a thread about "Is this the year Crosby scores 60 goals" or "Crosby will win the Art Ross by a landslide".

 

[Anglesmith]

Definitely should retire. Otherwise he risks never being able to do the things he loves, like playing hockey in the NHL.

 

[piteus]

But is there any medical literature that suggests that 5 days isn't long enough for a concussion to fully heal? Sorry I'm not putting a whole lot of stock in your common sense.


He was actually on the ice the next day, but that's standard concussion protocol. You do light activity and monitor your symptoms and, if there's no issues, you raise the activity level the next day and the next day. He went 5 days between playing an actual game.


I don't follow the NBA but a google search reveals Embiid was sidelined because of a knee injury that wasn't healing. What's the relevance?

The relevance is that with numerous injuries to a same body part, doctors take far more precautions. For example, if a player tears his ACL for a 3rd time, the rehab process is slower ... history says the athlete does not come back. It's almost a guarantee Jabari Parker's second ACL tear will take longer to rehab. The Bucks will definitely not hurry the process.

Our difference lies in what's long enough for a player to heal after a concussion ... one with a history of them. People were already uneasy with Crosby missing 1 game. However I gave the Pens some leeway like you. After those two massive hits to the head, it doesn't take a doctor to take precautions ... AND to not take the player's word it. Everyone was concerned except the Pens and NHL. Now no one is taking accountability. That's a recipe for disaster.

 

[Retire91]

No real reason to retire unless he wants to. He has access to the best medical advise and care on the planet being famous and in the 1%

 

[Street Hawk]

Sid's one of the smartest guys in the league. I wouldn't be surprised if he memorized all the protocols, and knows how he needs to act to pass them, even if he is not healthy.

That would be scary. Depres of Anaheim hid his symptoms and he missed almost the entire season this year. And he's only going to be 27 this year.

Every player has to decide what's more important to them.

Is it continue playing or do they think about the 50 years that they have after hockey. Sid can always get in touch with Savard, Pronger, Clowe, Franzen, Primeau etc. and talk to them about their experiences with PCS. How it impacts their daily lives.

Financially, Sid has made a lot of money. Around $10 million from his ELC. $43 million from his last contract. Has made $47 million so far on his current deal. Upwards of around $100 million USD. Plus what he has made in endorsements over his 12 year career. He still has $58 million or so left on his contract with the Pens.

But, what good is millions of dollars if you are not able to enjoy it?

 

[SmellOfVictory]

Elliot Freidman admitted that what doctors thought about concussions before has been changing. Rest may not be the best option anymore.

There's an insane difference between rest and playing a full-blown professional hockey game, though. They're on completely opposite ends of the spectrum. Light training, reading, whatever? Sure. Skating 30 km/h in a high impact environment? Maybe not a great idea.

 

[SmellOfVictory]

I am sure you would want to give up your dream job and retire before age 30 right? Spend doing something all your life, then go sit on your butt and vacation at 29 and then what?

Trust me you would get bored and young people want to stay active in society and contribute, even if it is just the entertainment industry in an athlete's case. No way would you not drive yourself crazy. Trust me i took a year off after saving some money and traveled all over Canada and Europe, i couldn't wait to get back to work and i don't even like my job all that much.

He's got, if he's lucky, roughly ten years of hockey left in him. So instead of retiring at 30, he can retire at 40, where he'd be in exactly the same predicament, except that if he keeps playing he runs the risk of absolutely ruining his quality of life for the remaining (presumed) 25+ years he's alive.

 

[Fugazy]

He won't retire anytime soon. But the Penguins need to start adequately monitoring his concussion issues or else that might become a realistic possibility.

 

[Jacob]

No real reason to retire unless he wants to. He has access to the best medical advise and care on the planet being famous and in the 1%

He'll just harvest a new brain from one of us plebs.

 

[SmellOfVictory]

No real reason to retire unless he wants to. He has access to the best medical advise and care on the planet being famous and in the 1%

That's... that's not how brain injuries work.

 

[kunekune]

Surprise that rival fans want Sid to quit.

I'm sorry but he ain't quitting any time soon.

His health isn't yours to worry about.

 

[123TripleDoge]

Ask Boogaard?

Ask those three people up in Brainerd

 

[North Cole]

Once he's healthy and if he wants to play who are we to stop him. He's so good because he loves the game. After he's done in the nhl he will probably play in men's leagues.

As for the rushed back thing they did a whole segment on the new study that getting back on the horse and physical activity may be better than waiting for concussions. And it could of been mild they don't know enough about them yet and can only really go by symptoms.

But it's his life if he's medically cleared let him play if he wants. For all we know not being able to play hockey would put him into a deep depression and he would hate his life so who knows.

I hope he doesn't, we saw what happened to Ryan Smyth. Crosby won't come back from a hit like that..Retiring doesn't mean you can't be involved in the game.

Surprise that rival fans want Sid to quit.

I'm sorry but he ain't quitting any time soon.

His health isn't yours to worry about.

I' not a rival fan, EDM isn't in the same conference.

 

[ThatSaid]

Crosby doesn't have a family of his own. Frankly, I think as long as he's still relatively young and unattached everybody around him will be encouraging him to play, and I think it's a message that he'll actually be receptive to.

How do you tell the best hockey player in the world that he has to retire even when he may feel well enough after the recovery period? Good luck with that.

Sadly, most of the guys with concussion history will probably play past 4-5 concussions and struggle through the rest of their lives.

But at least they'll have plenty of money to live in comfort. I know lots of guys Crosby's age and younger who live with TBIs, and even with occasional VA visits they lack the resources to get proper care.

 

[YEM]

I am sure you would want to give up your dream job and retire before age 30 right? Spend doing something all your life, then go sit on your butt and vacation at 29 and then what?

Trust me you would get bored and young people want to stay active in society and contribute, even if it is just the entertainment industry in an athlete's case. No way would you not drive yourself crazy. Trust me i took a year off after saving some money and traveled all over Canada and Europe, i couldn't wait to get back to work and i don't even like my job all that much.

pretty weak point considering that the vast majority of NHLers are done w/ their careers well before age 40
the average career length in the NHL is about 6 yrs
he's played 12 seasons
it's ending for him at some point over the next decade, either with a mushy brain or not

 

[Dream Big]

Crosby will know when it's time. I don't get that he feels it's his time but that can change quickly.

He'll know.

 

[g00n]

I still have pitchfork wounds and torch burns from suggesting Sid not play so soon prior to his return. I was told Sid knows what he's doing and besides that DOCTORS were involved!! Seems the discussion has expanded a bit given the latest tested/not tested scandal.

Should he retire? Dunno. But I think he's rolling loaded dice every time out now.

 

[Boulder Avalanche]

I think that if he continues to have concussion problems it might be a wise move We all know about the issues of CTE and brain issues that have been shown with others.